Foxygen return with yet more eclectic, classic pop

Rado briefly hung up his boots and swapped synths for switches, taking up the wizarding role of producer behind the desk of The Lemon Twigs’ Do Hollywood and Whitney’s Light Upon the Lake. When you listen to these albums you can definitely hear his influence, both LPs inhabiting an extremely lo-fi, analogue sound reminiscent of The Beatles, The Beach Boys and earlier Foxygen records. As one half of The Lemon Twigs, Michael D’Addario, most eloquently put it, “When we went to Rado’s and recorded everything […] the sound of his studio, and also, like, his influence […] it was the other half of the sound of the record.”

Foxygen have never hesitated to throw a whole load of instruments into the mix and see what happens next. During live performances, they've displayed equal levels of sheer experimentalism as they have pop craft; just take a look at how they extravagantly graced the stage on Letterman while promoting 2014’s …And Star Power. This concoction of elements are what have propelled Foxygen into a league of their own and consequently why some of their contemporaries today have wanted their stamp of approval in the studio.

Hang is another taste of their brilliance. Opener Follow the Leader kicks us off with an eclectic blend of instruments; a horn and string section alongside a typical rock ‘n’ roll ensemble, creating a blend of glam rock swagger combined with an essence of Chic’s classic disco groove to pound things along. Sam France’s voice sounds as on-point as ever, with the softness of Marc Bolan and the grit of Mick Jagger, he transcends the ultimate qualities of some of music’s greatest crooners. You can just imagine the amount of Iggy Pop-esque thrusting and hip shaking he’s throwing around as he screams, “Hot flash fun in the summertime / there’s no better way to spend our time, baby / but that’s never really what it’s about.”

"Avalon" and "America" reveal the other side of Foxygen that we’ve grown to know and love - the vaudeville and almost Broadway-like arrangements and deliveries that paint an image of France strutting about the stage clad with a long-flowing tux and top hat; cane in hand. It’s the little touches and references that make these songs so mesmerising, such as the beautiful honkytonk piano, clarinet and string work in "Avalon" that suddenly disappear in the chorus; a cross between David Bowie’s "The Jean Genie" and a grungier rendition of Abba’s "Waterloo". You can see how Jonathan Rado was the right man for the job on Do Hollywood.

"On Lankershim" and "Upon a Hill" are pure, out and out classic pop in their typical nostalgic fashion; a driving force. Though not stand-out tracks, they highlight the consistency of Foxygen’s meticulous songwriting and the amount of research and time that the band have put in to crafting their overall sound. While Hang doesn’t explore much new ground, that’s never really been on Foxygen's agenda. It's a great return all the same.